BodyArmor Powers Into College As Official Sports Drink For NCAA, March Madness
By Barry Janoff
November 14, 2018: The NCAA will have a new official sports drink beginning in 2019, but Coca-Cola remains a strong presence in the category.
The NCAA has signed a multi-year deal naming BodyArmor as its official sports drink, including such NCAA championships as the men’s and women’s Div. I basketball Final Four, the hockey Frozen Four and the College World Series.
BodyArmor will replace Powerade in the category.
Powerade is a division of Coca-Cola, an official corporate champion of the NCAA, which this past August became the second largest shareholder of the brand, behind founder and chairman Mike Repole.
Kobe Bryant is also listed as one of the brand’s biggest shareholders.
Financial terms of the alliance were not shared.
"The NCAA has 90 exhilarating championships, including March Madness, one of the most exciting events in all of sports, and we are thrilled that BodyArmor is going to be the hydration brand for teams and student-athletes participating in NCAA championships," Repole said via the company.
"We know that athletes at every level are already choosing BodyArmor as their sports drink and we are excited for the opportunity to hydrate the country's best collegiate athletes as they compete at the highest level."
BodyArmor said it has seen triple-digit growth in the sports drink category for five straight years and is on pace to exceed $400 million dollars in retail sales by the end of 2018.
As part of the agreement, BodyArmor’s logo will be seen on coolers, cups, water bottles, sidelines and bench areas at NCAA championships; and will be available in all sideline coolers and in locker rooms.
BodyArmor will support with marketing, including packaging and POP.
BodyArmor will have multi-media presence across NCAA partnerships and media partners. Earlier this year, Bryant was creative director for the biggest national ad campaign in BodyArmor’s history.
The brand will have presence during March Madness on-air and on the ground for the men's Div. I hoops tournament and Final Four in Minneapolis (April 6-8) and the women's tournament and Final Four in Tampa Bay (April 5-7).
BodyArmor is also the official sports drink for the UFC and Spartan Race.
The brand recently alligned with just-launched body-care brand Art of Sport, in which Bryant is also an investor.
In addition to Bryant, BodyArmor endorsers and investors include Mookie Betts, James Harden, Dustin Johnson, Andrew Luck, Kristaps Porzingis, Megan Rapine, Anthony Rizzo, Diana Taurasi, Klay Thompson, Mike Trout, Richard Sherman and Skylar Diggins-Smith.
According to Dan Gavitt, NCAA svp-basketball. "We thank BodyArmor for supporting NCAA student-athletes, and we also thank our corporate champion Coca-Cola for opening the door to this new relationship. We plan to work very closely with BodyArmor to make this a successful venture."
NCAA corporate champions include AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola.
NCAA corporate partners also include Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Google Cloud, Indeed, Infiniti, Intel, Lowe’s, Marriott Rewards, Nabisco, Northwestern Mutual, Pizza Hut, Reese’s, Unilever and Wendy’s.
BodyArmor Partners With Kobe Bryant-Backed Go Art Of Sport
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